Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 6: 5/16

と言(い)ってもいい

You could say, You might say

Structure

Verb + といってもいい
［い］Adjective + といってもいい
［な］Adjective + （だ） + といってもいい
Noun + （だ） + といってもいい

Details

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    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About といってもいい

と言(い)ってもいい is a common expression in Japanese which literally means 'even if you say (A), it is good/ok'. This is translated more naturally as 'you could say (A)', or 'you might say (A)'.
As the と at the beginning of the phrase is the 'quotation' use of the と particle, と言(い)ってもいい may be used after almost any statement that the speaker wants to quote.
  • あの人(ひと)は一日(いちにち)に7食(しょく)も食(た)べているから、一日中(いちにちじゅう)食(た)べていると言(い)ってもいい。
    That person eats 7 meals a day, so you could say that he is eating all day.
  • そのスポーツは危(あぶ)ないと言(い)ってもいい。
    You could say that sport is dangerous.
  • あの人(ひと)の仕事(しごと)のやり方(かた)は丁寧(ていねい)だと言(い)ってもいい。
    You could say that how that person works is careful.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)はすごい優(やさ)しい人(ひと)だと言(い)ってもいいでしょう。
    It is safe to say that she is a very nice person.
Fun Fact
Most grammatical structures in Japanese that use 言(い)う will often appear without kanji. This is simply to make them easier to recognize as a grammar pattern, rather than a standard word in a sentence. This is also true for patterns that include 行(い)く, or 来(く)る.

Examples

  • 彼(かれ)はとてもいい人(ひと)だといってもいいです。

    You might say that he is a very good person.

  • あの子(こ)は、魚(さかな)のように泳(およ)げるといってもいいです。

    You might say that that kid can swim like a fish.

  • 彼(かれ)は全然(ぜんぜん)日本語(にほんご)が出来(でき)ないといってもいい。

    You could say that he can't speak a word of Japanese.

  • あの二人(ふたり)が付(つ)き合(あ)っているといってもいいだろう。

    You might say that they are together. (Dating)

  • このワインは飲(の)みやすいといってもいい。

    One might say that this is a palatable wine.

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といってもいい – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

  • deltacat3

    deltacat3

    In this example sentence has me a little stumped…

    彼は早くて、ウサイン・ボルトに勝てると言ってもいい。
    You could say that he is fast enough to beat Usain Bolt.

    Why is Usain Bolt marked by the particle に, and why is 勝つ “to win” in the progressive tense?
    Before enabling translation I read this as “You could say he is fast and beating Usain Bolt”.

    I hope I am not asking to many questions, thank you in advance!

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    @deltacat3 「だれだれに勝つ」 means “to beat someone” or “win against someone.” “勝てる” is not the progressive tense but the potential form of 勝つ. So, 「ウサイン・ボルトに勝つ」 means “to beat Usain Bolt” or “to win against Usain Bolt.” 「ウサイン・ボルトに勝てる」therefore means “to be able to win against Usain Bolt” or “to be able to beat Usain Bolt.” Cheers!

    P.S. に負ける means “to lose against.” So, 「ウサイン・ボルトに負けない」 could also work, as it means “to not lose to Usain Bolt.”

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